Marathon Cheat Banned In Britain For Six Months

Former Sunderland Harriers runner Rob Sloan has been banned from competition for six months. Photo: BBC Sport

Rob Sloan still maintains he’s innocent.

Former Sunderland Harriers runner Rob Sloan has been banned from competition for six months. Photo: BBC Sport

Britain’s own Rosie Ruiz, Rob Sloan, is now in trouble with UK Athletics. At the Kielder Marathon last month in Northern England, Sloan was caught taking a bus and finishing ahead of the real third-place finisher. Witnesses said they saw Sloan jump out from behind a tree shortly before the finish line.

UK Athletics, Britain’s governing body of the sport, has banned him from competition for six months. Sloan has until November 22 to appeal the decision.

A statement from UK Athletics about the ban read: “The outcome of the hearing was that Mr Robert Sloan is to be suspended from all competition or from taking part in any event organised or run under UKA Rules for Competition for a period of six months dated back from 9 October 2011.”

Duncan Larkin

Duncan Larkin is a freelance journalist and author who’s been covering the sport of running for over a decade. He’s run 2:32 in the marathon and won the Himalayan 100-Mile Stage Race in 2007. He wrote the book RUN SIMPLE, and coaches runners of all abilities.
You can learn more about him here: http://roadsmillslaps.tumblr.com/about